Athanasius of Alexandria

Athanasius of Alexandria (296-2 May 373) was Coptic Pope from 328 to 373, succeeding Coptic Pope Alexander I and preceding Coptic Pope Peter II.

Biography
Athanasius of Alexandria was born in 296 CE to a Christian family in the city of Alexandria in Aegyptus, a province of the Roman Empire. He came from a wealthy family that could afford to give him a secular education, and he learned both Greek and Coptic. Coptic Pope Alexander I found Athanasius pretending to be a bishop and baptizing other boys at the beach, and Alexander told Athanasius that he had baptized the other children because he had recited the words correctly and performed the correct actions. He then invited Athanasius to enter the clergy with him, and Athanasius was ordained a deacon in 319 CE. When Alexander died, the people shouted "Give us Athanasius!", and he became the new Coptic Pope. He was banished from Egypt five times for not adhering to the First Council of Nicaea, but he continued to preach his views, which would become the Christian Miaphysite sect. He died in 373, and presbyter Peter became "Coptic Pope Peter II" on Athanasius' death.